The Stacking Benjamins Show

Year-end is a time to reflect on the past year and set new goals for the year ahead. What lessons did you learn in 2022? Our roundtable joins us today to share their biggest takeaways. Paulette Perhach (Powerhouse Writers), Len Penzo (len penzo dot com) and OG join us to talk about 2022. They share their thoughts on crypto, the stock market, and how to position yourself to be successful financially. And then, we crown the annual trivia contest winner with the best trophy anyone has ever seen! Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1293. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2022 is coming to an end. What were your biggest takeaways and lessons for the year, financial or otherwise? A volatile stock market, rising interest rates, and uncertainty left a lot of people feeling uneasy about their investments but there's a silver lining. Katie Gatti from Money With Katie joins us to share her top five takeaways from 2022. She says that if you got through 2022 and have a clear outlook on your financial plan for the upcoming year, you are in a better position than you might think. She talks about lessons from crypto, the bond market comeback, why diversification still matters, and more. We're also talking about Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) today. Shawna Hausman from FSAStore joined us to help you spend those FSA dollars before the year-end deadline. She shares some of the less-known items and products that qualify and shares a calculator to help you determine how much to contribute to your FSA next year. Then we'll hear Nick's question about cutting expenses and Doug will share his trivia. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/katie-gatti-1292. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The holiday season is meant to be spent with activities and people you love, not in the kitchen creating some elegant concoction (unless that's your #1 passion, then go for it!). Even worse, your waistline won't love you ordering DoorDash every night and eating warmed up fast-casual restaurant food. Where's the sweet spot? Karen Nochimowski is the tour-de-force behind Momma Chef, and she today will share recipe ideas from her new 6-Minute Dinners cookbook. It turns out, you don't have to be Gordon Ramsay to make a delicious meal AND it doesn't have to take long to prep, either. In our headlines segment, we dive into recent comments made by Morningstar CEO Kunil Kapoor about direct index investing, and how it can turn index investing "fun." Is that a good thing? We'll share some thoughts. Plus of course, no show would be complete without Doug's trivia and a call into the Lifeline from Paddy, who's worried about FinTech company Blooom closing the doors to customers. Where does he turn for asset allocation suggestions? Hey, Stackers - are you good at communicating about money and have 25 hours a week available? We're hiring! Check it out here. Find full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/karen-nochimowski-1291. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who are the people that have motivated and inspired you most in your life? The friends and family we surround ourselves with impact all areas of our lives, including financially. Do your closest friends have similar spending habits to you? Today, our roundtable guests talk about the influence our friends have on us. Alissa Maizes (Amplify My Wealth), Len Penzo (len penzo dot com) and OG share their thoughts. They talk about people who have motivated and influenced their money habits, how their habits compare to their friends, and toxic traits in others that they avoid. But that's not all for today! We also have Suzanne Lucas here, The Evil HR Lady, to talk about the recent Twitter layoffs and what you can do if you find yourself in a similar situation. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1290. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When sudden change happens in your life, how do you handle it? Imagine being told you couldn't perform your job anymore. How would you pivot? Our guest today had a huge and sudden change in his life when, while his wife was in labor with their child, he found out he had injuries that would prevent him from playing football ever again. Eric Wood played in the NFL for nine seasons before his sudden departure. He joins us today to talk about that moment, the immediate changes he had to make, how he set himself up for success after the NFL, and the importance of having mentors and coaches at all stages of life. Think you have nothing in common with an NFL star? Think again! These messages will apply to much of your life. Are you counting on the 4% rule to get you through retirement? You may need to revisit your financial plan. For years there has been suspicion that the 4% rule doesn't work anymore and we dive into exactly why in our headline segment. Joe and OG talk about reviewing your plan consistently and making small changes along the way so you don't run into huge setbacks. Then we'll answer Justin's question about saving for future college expenses and Doug will share his trivia. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/eric-wood-1289. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When most people think about real estate rentals, they think short-term or long-term investing options. Did you know there's a huge market for mid-term rentals? Mid-term rentals are perfect for traveling nurses, business executives at a temporary location, or someone looking to try out a new location before making a big move. Our guest today, Zeona McIntyre, stumbled into mid-term rentals and has now built her real estate portfolio around the strategy. She talks about going from juggling low-profit rentals just to get started, and shares ideas on how you can start your real estate investing journey too. Were you one of the Taylor Swift fans who tried to get tickets to her latest concert? Ticketmaster was a disaster, with many people waiting hours to snag their tickets. Those who couldn't get tickets found them on the secondary market for tens of thousands of dollars. Randy Nichols is a music manager who currently manages the band Underoath. He joined us to talk behind the scenes on how ticket sales work and why Ticketmaster's crashed so badly this time. Then we'll answer "Brian's" (we have our doubts. It sounds suspiciously similar to someone else we know) question from Wisconsin about probate and Doug will share this trivia. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/zeona-mcintyre-1288. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you ever feel FOMO seeing the investments that the super wealthy have access to? Private investments, hedge funds, and other alternative investments get a lot of hype but they also come with a ton of risk. Some of these investments do make sense for the everyday investor but there's no need to get stuck in a cycle of FOMO. Our roundtable today talks about the difference in investing based on the. size of your portfolio. Roger Whitney (The Retirement Answer Man), Len Penzo (len penzo dot com) and Paulette Perhach (Powerhouse Writers) join our roundtable today. They talk about the FOMO they've all felt with being unable to access certain investments and how to get past that FOMO to create investment goals and a portfolio that works for you. Angelo Poli from MetPro also joins us to talk about health and wellness this holiday season. He talks about, controlling the urge to snack, and shares how to go into the new year with a fresh look at your health. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1287. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

'Tis the season for parties, gatherings, AND....awkward discussions with people you need for networking opportunities. Public speaking creates massive anxiety for many people, and even more so during the holiday season with endless parties and get-togethers. But guess what? Being an introvert, shy or anxious isn't a defining characteristic. Public speaking is a skill that you can build and actually excel at. Our guest today, John Bowe, saw this first-hand with a family member. His step-cousin went from an introvert whom no one understood to unbelievably finding a spouse. The big turning point was learning how to connect with people. John shares how we can all connect with others better and become better speakers. In our headline segment, we are talking about diversification. Many people get it wrong when it comes to diversification. We share why and how you can smooth out the bumpy ride in the stock market with diversification. We'll also answer Ricky's question about his mom's IRA allocation and Doug will share his trivia. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/john-bowe-1286. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We dive deep today into the creation of a new podcast series from FastCompany about women and work FastCompany scoured the nation to find mother/daughter pairs to tell their own stories of the world of work. How they created the series is a testament to the power of working toward excellence, but the topic itself is also beyond compelling. 43% of women leave the workforce after having children, which is disturbingly often not always their preferred choice. Today we talk with Kate Davis, FastCompany Deputy Editor about the American Dream and women and what we all can do to improve our ability to earn more and to help others earn. While it's true that you can't change history, women often face challenges today in the workplace that should have been resolved years ago, so we discuss what we can do now. We'll also share clips from several of those women, and Kate offers additional research and solutions based on her work. Is Congress bringing some changes to retirement plans? It looks likely, though currently the government is sitting on the Secure 2.0 bill with a deadline just a few weeks away. We'll talk about the changes proposed in the bill and how to get your retirement savings on track whether or not this legislation passes. We'll also answer Timmy's question about brokered CDs and Doug will share his trivia. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/kate-davis-1285. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is your tipping etiquette? Tipping at restaurants is more straightforward than tipping at a coffee shop or when you order takeout. Even more complicated is tipping for services like hair salons or your trash service provider. How do you determine how much to tip and when? Our roundtable today shares their thoughts. Barbara Sloan (Tipped Finance), Len Penzo (len penzo dot com), and OG join us to talk about their tipping habits. They also talk about tipping in unusual situations and what to do when someone swings the iPad around for you to add a tip. And, of course, Doug will continue his tipping-themed trivia for our annual competition. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1284. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you ever look around your house and wonder how you accumulated so much stuff? It's the holiday season and you're about to bring in even more. There's stuff everywhere and we keep buying more. "Spring cleaning" is a great idea, but today's guest believes that decluttering your life begins with deciding what you actually bring INTO your home to begin with. Tracy McCubbin is our favorite organizational expert who's learned the hard way. Her father is a hoarder, and she's seen firsthand the mess it can create in people's lives. Tracy joins us today to talk about decluttering your house and your life and shares some of the most common clutter magnets. Crypto is back in the news and back in our headline segment. This time, we focus on crypto arbitrage. What is that and should you try it? Joe and OG will explain. Then we'll answer an anonymous (aka Janet) caller's question about simplifying the number of funds in her 401k account. And of course, Doug will share his trivia. Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/tracy-mccubbin-1283. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today YOU are in the driver's seat with questions about annuities, opening accounts, the stock market, savings account options, unclaimed property, and more...but before that, we dive into a headline on real estate that could make you think twice before investing in it. We'll share details and what questions you should ask regarding these "deals." Plus we share a TikTok minute sure to make you think about your utility bills differently, AND Doug also asks a trivia question you just might get right. You can find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/listener-questions-1282. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tired of not knowing how to get into money topics with friends OR sick of boring holiday parties where someone picked out a lame game from Walmart? We'll solve BOTH problems today with our friends from the Australia-based YouTube channel Thinker Themer, Amy and Maggie! They're board game reviewers who walk us through two lists, one detailing great games introducing people to money or economic themes, and the other with party games that will be sure to entertain your friends and family over this holiday season. They're sure to bring some games you've never heard of that can provide hours of entertainment for a lot less money than a night at a bar or trip to the local cinema. You'll find show notes for this episode at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/amy-and-maggie-thinker-themer-1281. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever paid for some sweet new tech gadget and it didn't work as advertised? Sometimes a "deal" isn't really a great deal...which is why we love saving you some money on these big-ticket items. Tech gadgets are always towards the top of wish lists and we'll wade into the best and worst deals this week. Our guest today knows more than most of us about the latest tech. Bridget Carey from CNET joins us for our annual walk through all of the hottest tech deals AND also shares what to shy away from. Not all Black Friday deals are created equal and she shines a light on what you should pay attention to this year. But all of these deals could mess up your long-range planning if you aren't careful. That's why, in our headline segment, we're joined by financial therapist Dr. Erika Rasure from Beyond Finance. She joins us to detail how to make the most of this season, and how to recognize patterns of unhealthy spending. She also shares tips to keep your budget in check this holiday season. We'll also answer Austin's question about taking a fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage. Which is better in this environment? And to top off our pre-Thanksgiving festivities, Doug will share yet another incredible trivia question. You'll find show notes for this episode at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/bridget-carey-1280. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready to save big money this holiday season? Before you hop on the internet or stand in line this week for the hottest deal, we've got some HUGE money-saving tips for you. Regina Conway from SlickDeals is back this year to share 2022's hottest Black Friday deals. Avoid shopping at the wrong store when the better deal is somewhere else. As she does every year on this special episode, Regina shares timely and specific advice for shopping with a plan this season. Make your list, do research, and find ways to stack coupons. Regina shares top deals in beauty, toys, home improvement, kitchen appliances, and more. She also shares how to find additional deals through the SlickDeals community. We're continuing the money-saving tips and tricks with our headline. Joe and OG dive into a piece about how to find the best deals this week AND the best strategies to save more money. They also talk about how to stay on budget and hide money from yourself. Then we'll answer Matt's question about what to think about before retirement and Doug will share his trivia. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/regina-conway-1279. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mentors can be monumental to success. The right one can help propel your career and personal life by guiding you to your goals. We have three great contributors to our roundtable today who discuss the value of a mentor. Sharita Humphrey, Len Penzo, and Paulette Perhach join us to share lessons they've learned from their mentors and how to find the right one for you. They also talk about the importance of being coachable and that eagerness to continually learn. But we can't leave the show without Doug and his trivia. He'll share another piece of trivia as our contributors continue the chase to win our annual competition. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1278. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to make more money? Communicate better. Period. So, what distinguishes money-making effective communicators from your buddy's last rotten email? One major difference is word choice. Carmine Gallo joins us today to make you a top-notch communicator. He studied Jeff Bezos' communication style at Amazon and shares the leader's transformation over the years. Years ago, Jeff was writing memos at a college level, but now he writes at an 8th grade level. And guess what? His writing and overall communication is lightyears better today at the 8th grade level than it was when he wrote at a college level. Carmine dives into why that works and shares tips for all of us to be better communicators. Are you house hunting? Did you about fall over when you saw that interest rates are hovering right around 7% currently? In our headline segment today we talk about why. Even if you aren't house hunting, you'll want to hear this. We dive into the Fed, how mortgage rates are set, and what you should be doing with your money during this time of high inflation and high interest rates. We'll also answer James' question about buying vs. building a new home. And of course, Doug will share his trivia. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/carmine-gallo-1277. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stop wasting all of your free time on buying yourself another job. Sure, all the cool kids are talking about "side hustles" these days. If you're reading this and DON'T have a side hustle, there's a nearly one-hundred percent chance that you've thought about starting one yourself. Before all of that pain, you'll want to hear from today's guest who says that not all side hustles are created equal. Brian Page has built an empire built on an entirely different premise. Will it take work? Yes. Is it more sustainable than a second job? Absolutely, and that's why we wanted to chat with Brian. He not only shares ideas, he'll tell you how he did it. We've heard a lot about investment funds in hot water over high fees but now some are getting in trouble for fees being too....low? In our headline piece, we'll discuss the hot topic of fees from this completely different angle.We'll dive in and guide you in the right direction to picking your own investments. Then we'll answer Rachel's question about investing in today's market, and as always, Doug will share his trivia. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/brian-page-1276. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you missing out on benefits that might be available to you? Billions of dollars in government benefits go unused each year. On this Veteran's Day, we're bringing you back to a Veteran's Day episode we aired a few years ago with Ellie Kay. There's tons of benefits and programs available to our veterans and she shares about a few of them. This show originally aired in 2019 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/ellie-kay-rewind-1275. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does small talk at holiday parties make your skin crawl with anxiety? Company parties are even worse. It's SO uncomfortable trying to come up with what to say to people you barely know. That's why we are bringing back our interview with Nick Shelton today. He understands the introvert struggle of mingling at holiday parties. He shares tips and tricks to help get you through AND enjoy the party. This show originally aired in 2021 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/nick-shelton-rewind-1274. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you started thinking about the holidays and all the parties that come with it? We sure have! That's why we are starting our rewind week strong with the best party planning tips and tricks. David Tutera is a party planning expert and shared his best tips to throw the best party without blowing your budget. This show originally aired in 2019 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/david-tutera-rewind-1273. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does today's down market compare to the past? Can we learn from the pain others endured during historical downturns? While it always makes sense to avoid mistakes in the past, our roundtable team also today throws the caution flag: beware reading too much into current events that don't necessarily correlate wth the past. CFP Eric Brotman from the Don't Retire, Graduate! podcast joins Doc G from Earn & Invest and Paulette Perhach to talk all things markets and recessions. They talk about the current financial markets, how it feels different than past recessions, lessons learned, and what YOU should be doing and thinking about with your own portfolio. This chat is inspired by a piece recently posted at the amazing blogger Donna Freedman's website, Surviving and Thriving...which gave the team lots of facets of this discussion to chew on. Of course, we can't leave out Mom's Neighbor Doug! He will share his trivia to continue our year-long trivia competition, which only tightens as we near the finish line. Will things heat up even more? You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1272. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When opportunity knocks, will you answer? Having a dream is one thing but making it a reality is another, especially when money is involved. Sometimes that opportunity comes in the form of coaching, and we're joined by one today! Patrice Washington is one of three financial coaches on a new PBS series, Opportunity Knock$, that helps struggling families find resources and reach their financial dreams. Patrice joins us today to share the story of one woman she helped coach throughout the show. PBS also put together an entire resource guide to help find local help near you. In our headline segment, we share news about the increases to retirement plan contribution limits for 2023. What does it mean for your budget and how can you save more? We'll give some ideas. We also share clips from an interview we did with Sean Mullaney about retirement savings and plan options for those of you that are self-employed. He shares tips and advice for getting the most out of your savings. We'll also answer Malcolm's question about collective investment trusts within his employer sponsored retirement plan and Doug will share his trivia. You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/patrice-washington-1271. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What spooky money stories keep you awake at night? There are the ghosts of bad banking, the goblins of budget nightmares, the witches haunting your net worth statement...and even some scary stories about retirement. Jaspreet Singh joins us today to share some of his personal financial lessons. He's now a successful entrepreneur money coach, running the Minority Mindset YouTube channel and market briefs newsletter, but his success didn't happen overnight. His family expected him to become a doctor, but he had his own plans. He talks about real estate mistakes, business mistakes, and why more money doesn't always solve problems. Then we're continuing the Halloween fun with Chuck Jaffe's epic Halloween game. The host of the popular Money Life podcast is back this year to share how he's teaching kids AND celebrating with the neighborhood, and hopefully gives you some ideas too. We'll also answer Lisa's question about whether to keep her qualified annuity or roll it over to an IRA. And Doug will share his horror trivia. You'll find show notes for this episode at www.stackingbenjamins.com/jaspreet-singh-1270. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's that item that makes you beg, "TAKE MY WALLET ALREADY!" We all have them. Maybe it's books, travel, ice cream, or board games. Whatever. Today we face off against our personal money-sucking demons and the question, "How do we plug these leaks," and "Do we need to plug them?" Joining us for this fun look into how we spend money is the co-host of the amazing Frugal Friends podcast, Jen Smith. She joins OG and Len Penzo (LenPenzo.com) to a lively discussion about our weaknesses, our wallets, and setting up systems to better spend money. Of course, that's not all. Our year-long trivia contest between our contributors is heating up! We'll listen to them battle it out. You'll find show notes for this episode at www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1269. Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices